Working memory and academic achievement in children with mild intellectual disability

Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine the relation between working memory span and school achievement in children with mild intellectual disability. The sample consists of 95 children (43 girls and 52 boys) with mild intellectual disability (MID), aged between 10-14 years. The participant's IQ is between 50 and 70 (M=60,43; SD=7,287). The data on age, IQ, socio-economic status and school achievement were collected by analyzing the official documentation of the pedagogical-psychological services. The verbal working memory was assessed by Numbers Manipulation Task, while the nonverbal working memory was assessed by the Odd-One-Out Span. Analyses of relation significance between observed nonparametric variables were conducted by χ2 test and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Summing the results we can conclude that, according to statistical indicators, working memory is not significant factor of academic success in children with MID in observed sample, certainly not to the extent that is expected based on findings of majority studies.

Cilj istraživanja je utvrđivanje odnosa raspona radne memorije i uspeha u školi kod dece sa lakom intelektualnom ometenošću. Obuhvaćeno je 95-oro dece (43 devojčice i 52 dečaka) sa lakom intelektualnom ometenošću (LIO), uzrasta 10-14 godina. IQ ispitanika je u rasponu od 50 do 70 (AS=60,43; SD=7,287). Analizom dokumentacije pedagoško-psihološke službe škola prikupljeni su podaci o uzrastu, intelektualnim sposobnostima, socioekonomskom statusu i školskom uspehu ispitanika. Za procenu verbalne radne memorije je korišćen zadatak Manipulacija brojevima u nizu, a neverbalne zadatak 'Izbaci uljeza'. Analiza značajnosti odnosa posmatranih neparametrijskih varijabli izvršena je primenom χ2 testa i Spirmanovog koeficijenta korelacije. Sumirajući rezultate, možemo da zaključimo da radna memorija, sudeći prema statističkim pokazateljima, nije značajan činilac uspešnosti u školi kod dece sa LIO obuhvaćene uzorkom, svakako ne u meri u kojoj bi se to očekivalo na osnovu nalaza većine drugih studija. PR Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179025: Kreiranje protokola za procenu edukativnih potencijala dece sa smetnjama u razvoju kao kriterijuma za izradu individualnih obrazovnih programa.